Fear of Public Speaking

Fear of Public Speaking

We’ve all experienced the fight, flight or freeze response. It’s an automatic (and autonomic!) reaction to perceived danger that can flood our systems with adrenaline for fighting, send us running for the hills, or make us freeze up and stop breathing. It’s obvious that not breathing could make it difficult to deliver a presentation; but the flight part of this reaction can also Read More

First, the good news: It’s not true that most people fear public speaking more than death. (Two University of Nebraska communications professors recently confirmed through their research that public speaking is a common fear, not the worst fear.) The bad news is that plenty of people do suffer when it comes to public speaking. Charles diCagno — Director of Public Speaking Center Read More

My mom (shown below in 2006 with eight of her nine grandchildren) used to say that the most important thing about any problem was how you coped with it. As the survivor of a cerebral aneurysm, a three-month coma, uterine cancer, two strokes, and early widowhood, she knew what she was talking about. But it turns Read More

Twice this week, I’ve “made” my clients cry. One man was recalling his childhood struggle to speak out. A female client was trying to talk about cancer. They were both primed to cry, and at the moment when they might have pulled back, I urged them forward, into tears. I hate feeling vulnerable, and hate Read More

You may be wondering what addiction has to do with fear of public speaking. Well, if you’ve ever been addicted to anything, you’ll probably recognize these feelings: All the while aware of his addiction, awakened by the flood of stress chemicals, urgently advising him that something to take the edge off would be a very Read More